The Sale of Goods Act was introduced in 1979 to provide UK consumers with protection in addition to the provisions under common law.
  The groundbreaking act has been modified and supplemented since with additional legislation such as the Supply of Goods Act 1994 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.
The three main provisions are: 1.
The goods are as described 2.
 The goods are fit for purpose 3.
The goods are of satisfactory quality.
Satisfactory quality is defined by what a "reasonable person" would think and takes into account the price of the product and the circumstances of the sale.
These are referred to as "statutory rights" by retailers.
If the goods are not as described, not fit for purpose or of unsatisfactory quality then a purchaser can demand their money back.
  The time limit is not defined for this but the expectation is that it would be shortly after the goods are sold.
  In the first six months after purchasing the item it is the retailer's responsibility to prove that the product was fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality.
  Consumers can still demand that an item is repaired or replaced within six years of purchase but it become the consumer's responsibility to prove that the product purchased is faulty.
  It is common for retailers to attempt to pass the liability for repair to the manufacturer and to attempt to get the consumer to make direct contact with the manufacturer to resolve any quality issues.
  However, it is the retailer not the manufacturer that is liable and it is their responsibility to arrange for repairs to take place.
If a repair or a replacement is not possible, then the consumer can request a refund.
The provisions under the Sale of Goods Act provide UK consumers with good levels of protection and make the purchase of additional warranties unnecessary.
  These warranties are actually minimising retailer's liability while increasing their profit margins.
  Visit whatconsumer.
co.
uk for more information about the Sale of Goods Act.